I busted down yet another 15+ year brick wall two days ago, finding the last two border crossing records for the Mexico-born members of my paternal grandfather’s family, who immigrated here in 1915. Reviewing border records for this family of four led me to a new discovery, which involves another family history road trip this fall!

Mexican naming conventions can make genealogical research very difficult, and also very easy. My 4th great-grandfather Jose Victoriano Compean (b. abt. 1803) and his family are a very good representation of this dichotomy.

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was toying with starting a one-name study for my Robledo surname. This is the second post in that series, focusing on an analysis of the 1790 to 1850 U.S. Census to identify the first appearance of the Robledo surname in the United States.

After RootsTech 2015, I am seriously considering embarking upon a one-name study for my Robledo (maiden) surname — whether just on my own, or officially registered through the Guild of One-Name Studies. My hope is that a study will help me make a breakthrough on my brick wall Robledo ancestral line.